Judge orders Indiana county to open more early voting sites

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A federal judge says Indiana’s Marion County must open at least two early voting sites before the November election.

The Indianapolis Star reports U.S. District Court Judge Sarah Evans Barker issued an injunction Wednesday ending what critics have called an effort to suppress voting in the Democratic-leaning county that includes Indianapolis. The additional sites won’t be required for the May primary due to time constraints.

Barker, who was nominated to the federal court by President Ronald Reagan, issued the ruling in response to a lawsuit by the Indianapolis NAACP and Common Cause Indiana. The suit said a lack of locations suppressed voting rights in urban communities with diverse populations.

Marion County’s only early voting site is in downtown Indianapolis. Republicans had cited cost concerns for having only one location.